Photo Software and Apps

After you have uploaded your digital photos to your computer, you are almost ready to start editing. With many options for photo editing software, the possibilities are seemingly endless. There are many different tasks and operations you can perform (to varying levels and intensities) on your photos. The software can be used for professional work, creative expression, or simply practical purposes. There is software for the average consumer all the way up to industry professionals. With the introduction of smart phones with cameras and tablets with cameras, there are now apps to do similar things on those devices.

Often times, photo editing software is going to be used for that purpose exactly; editing. In the majority of the different programs available, you will be able to do much the same actions. You may have the ability to correct your image exposure by adding light to the photo or taking away light and making it darker. There are many options for adjusting your color in the photo by tinting the image or changing the temperature to offer a cooler blue or maybe a warmer orange color. Some of the other functions you may find to adjust are things like contrast and saturation. These functions can be found in many mobile apps as well. However, not all software or apps are for editing photos. Some can be for organizational (storage and ease of access) or presentational purposes (slideshow creation).

The aforementioned are merely the tip of the iceberg to photo editing. Using apps that go deeper into the creative process and software geared toward the intermediate and above, you can create and add things to the photo rather than just alter what is already present in the image. The apps you are using through mobile devices won’t always provide you with a high-resolution final product. This is usually due to the limitations of some of the hardware from which they are being accessed. You can also purchase software to show you the basics of using your camera.

Some commonly used software and apps:

Photoshop: the most commonly used software. This software can pretty much do anything when it comes to editing digital images. Adobe also has a simpler version called Photoshop Elements that would meet the needs of most photographers.

Lightroom: an organizational software. Simply put, it is the best at what it does, and this is a must own software for any photographer. It helps organize your workflow as well as providing simple editing options.

There are many other photo editing software and apps on the market. If downloading an app, see if there is a free version first to see if you like the app. Software companies also usually provide a free trial edition of their software.